Before you make a choice to invest in an IV&V program for your company, you likely want to know what to expect…
This isn’t necessarily an easy answer to provide, since each and every IV&V program is built around the software or project being evaluated. In fact, a major piece of the value IV&V provides comes from its customization. An IV&V team must build an understanding of a company’s unique development process and specific goals to deliver. That means that every program is a little bit different – and that’s part of the beauty!
Now, even with the unique nature of IV&V programs (and the proprietary nature of each provider’s process), we can look at some of the general goals that go into IV&V no matter what the project may be.
Validation
As you may recall, “validation” is generally outward facing. The process of validating components of the software development process is going to be focused on customers and stakeholders. The IV&V team will work with board members, managers, sales staff, and even customers themselves to ensure that development meets their expectations and needs.
Some of these areas of validation will include:
• Project and resource plan
• Time and cost estimate
• Risk, issues, and mitigation strategy
• Commitment to major stakeholders
• Business and technical requirements
• Test plans and scripts
• Post go-live support plans
Verification
The verification process focuses on compliance, functionality, internal requirements, design specifications, and so on. Where validation faces outward, verification faces inward. Verifying software functionality typically involves rigorous testing, code evaluation, and so much more. The IV&V team will compare to regulations, initial development plans, industry standards, etc.
Again, every IV&V program will be a little bit different. You can, however, expect verification for the following processes:
• Reporting project status
• Stakeholder communication
• Testing and quality control
• Change control
Recommending Changes
During the IV&V process, there will be areas to improve and processes to amend – that’s the whole point! The IV&V team will also develop a method of implementing these changes. This will require the cooperation of staff and stakeholders – with the IV&V team using their expertise to act as “broker,” finding solutions that meet everyone’s expectations.
IV&V is an ongoing process. Once your team begins, they effectively become a part of your organization until the project is deemed complete. This means a multifaceted, multistep process that touches on many different areas of operation and development. Each program will be different, but any worthwhile IV&V provider will be extremely thorough. If it’s part of development, you can safely assume that IV&V will have a hand in it.
To learn more about the IV&V process, and what it could look like for your organization, contact us today!
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